so i'm watching HGTV "Home Hunter" and they are looking in Maui

[NMDemDist2]

and one place they looked at the Agent says "This floor is bamboo so we have to take our shoes off"

what's up with that? I thought bamboo was tough?

[Nite Owl]

1. Saw that episode last night

and caught that too. I guess it's has to be treated the same as any hardwood floor, the finish is what will scratch and resanding is such an expense and pain.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Bamboo is actually harder than oak.

I didn't see the episode, so I can't say what type of bamboo floor it was, but maybe they were freshly finished?

[NMDemDist2]

3. no they said the same for both bamboo floors

i thought it was strange....

[eleny]

4. I think I saw that epsiode some time ago

Was it a retired couple?

Anyhow, I recall that they were asked to take their shoes off. At the time, I thought it was silly and just something the realtor said to get them to remove their shoes. If I've got a bamboo cutting board, I think it would be okay to walk on a bamboo floor. ;)

[Zookeeper]

5. Here in Minnesota...

it's practically a law that you remove your shoes when you go into someone's home. I have gone to "Parade of Homes" developer's showcase houses in the dead of winter (along with hundreds of other people) and shoes always get left outside.

ANYHOO, maybe the realtor was just being extra careful. I haven't heard of bamboo being harder than oak (I know some woods are), but if the wife (or husband, for that matter ;) ) was wearing high heels that can damage any wood floor.

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. Canadians do that too.

And it drives me nuts, because we now live in Texas, and reprehensor still piles his shoes (not neaty) next to our front door, and I stub my toes wenever I walk through there.

(And I have painful arthritic toes!)

Ow ow ow!
fsc

[wildeyed]

6. Maybe it is local custom.

I know the Japanese take their shoes off before entering a house. Kind of makes sense. Imagine how much dirt doesn't get tracked in.

Another thought, maybe the floors were recently re-done and the varnish hadn't set up completely.

[yorkiemommie1]

8. Hawai'i residents take their shoes off before entering a house

you can tell when a party's going on by the piles of shoes out on the porch.

now that i'm in CA. i'm finding more people here who do it too. When we go to a house like that, we take house slippers or the like to wear inside. as soon as i get home, i switch to slippers.

i don't know what the bamboo flooring had to do w/ it though.